Martial Cultivator

The cold winter passed and early spring arrived, the number of merchants entering and leaving the Divine Capital increased. After a year that could not really be called good or bad, life still had to go on, and so did the necessary tasks. Chen Chao traveled south along the official road, encountering many merchant caravans along the way. Seeing Chen Chao traveling alone, many merchants even took the initiative to ask him where he was headed, hoping to see if their routes coincided. It was a form of reliance, as once you left the Divine Capital, the Great Liang Dynasty was not as prosperous as the Divine Capital. Everywhere you looked, there was hustle and bustle. Those demons that could be seen everywhere within the Great Liang’s borders might suddenly appear and bring death upon them at any moment.

Some merchants hired cultivators and martial artists to escort them southward. However, after seeing Chen Chao, they still stopped and initiated conversation with him. These merchants, who traveled far and wide, had developed a keen eye for judging people. Although Chen Chao still seemed a bit inexperienced, they noticed the saber at his waist and his strides, which made them feel that this person was extraordinary. They hoped to make friends with him, perhaps even travel together down south. Who knew, there might be unexpected benefits if something happened along the way. However, Chen Chao was determined to travel south alone this time and politely declined their invitations.

Taking breaks along the way, Chen Chao was not in a hurry to reach Sword Qi Mountain, at least not urgently. Therefore, several days later, he had not yet left the territory of Changping Prefecture where the Divine Capital was located. However, along the way, he did encounter a few ignorant demons who, in the dead of night, insisted on trying to see if they could eat Chen Chao. The outcome was predictable. Although he had left Tianqing County long ago, his skill in killing demons had not diminished. Usually, when these weak demons wanted trouble, it was they who ended up dead.

One evening, Chen Chao passed by a commandery city. At this time, the sky was already dark, and the city gates were closed. However, if Chen Chao wanted to enter the city, it would not be difficult. He could either voluntarily reveal his identity or climb over the city walls. However, Chen Chao did not want to choose either of these options, so he decided to continue on his way. Before leaving the city, although Xie Nandu did not send him off, she had actually prepared a lot of things for him, including a lantern. The lantern used lamp oil made from the oil of merfolk as its wick, so it did not need to be replaced like ordinary candles after a period of time. Moreover, it was very difficult for the wind to extinguish this kind of wick, so Chen Chao did not have to worry about it going out.

Carrying the lantern and hurrying along in the night, it did not take long for Chen Chao to sense some demonic qi ahead. In fact, it was quite normal for demons to appear at night, especially now that he was getting farther and farther from the Divine Capital.

Chen Chao held his breath and focused his senses, wanting to approach those ignorant minor demons. However, after walking about a mile, Chen Chao saw a flicker of fire not far ahead. Obviously, someone was camping in the wilderness.

After sensing for a while, Chen Chao detected only one aura there; very faint. It should be a martial artist at the Novice Realm. Facing these weak demons that Chen Chao considered insignificant, the martial artist probably could not handle them at all. Chen Chao sighed and eventually chose to release his aura. As expected, after the low-level demons felt Chen Chao’s aura, they scattered and fled.

When Chen Chao approached the flickering fire with the lantern, he saw an old man holding a rusty long saber. Seeing Chen Chao carrying the lantern, the old man immediately became nervous.

Chen Chao took the initiative to say, ”I’m human.”

The old man’s face that was full of wrinkles showed some suspicion, his hand holding the saber gripped even harder.

Chen Chao was not in a hurry, he just stood still and stopped walking forward. He said indifferently, ”If I was really a demon, could you handle it?”

A demon capable of taking on human form was no ordinary demon. Even if there were a hundred more of the old man, it would not make a difference.

Only then, did the old man sheathe his saber, giving a somewhat apologetic smile.

As Chen Chao approached, he saw a mother and daughter by the fire. The woman was quite attractive and could be said to have retained some of her charm, while the little girl had pigtails, looking very adorable. However, judging by their appearance, the girl was only about five or six years old.

Before Chen Chao could speak, the woman took the initiative to stand up and said, ”Are you also traveling, Sir? Come over and sit, it’s warm here.”

Chen Chao did not see much panic in the woman’s eyes, and even the little girl just stared at Chen Chao with a pair of curious eyes.

Chen Chao did not refuse and came to sit in front of the fire with the mother and daughter.

The old man also came to sit beside the mother and daughter, but not too near, maintaining a subtle distance.

Chen Chao took the initiative to ask, ”Since you’re traveling, why not hire a few guards? There are really demons outside that eat people.”

Upon hearing this, the old man bowed his head slightly in embarrassment, while the woman gave a bitter smile. If it were possible, she naturally knew she should hire guards. But due to her limited funds, she only had an old servant to guard them.

Seeing the woman remain silent, Chen Chao continued, ”Where are you headed? If the journey is long, you folks won’t last more than a few days.”

After thinking for a moment, the woman finally said, ”To White Deer Prefecture.”

White Deer Prefecture was still about one or two months away from their current location. Neither the mother nor the daughter were cultivators, so they could not travel quickly. This one or two-month journey was definitely not a good thing for them.

Chen Chao responded matter-of-factly, ”Then you’ll likely die.”

Hearing this, the old servant became somewhat angry, but the woman did not seem to mind. Instead, she glanced at the saber at Chen Chao’s waist and asked softly, ”Sir, are you a cultivator?”

Chen Chao saw through the woman’s thoughts and said, ”Thinking of hiring me? Well, that depends on whether you can afford it. If you don’t have the money, don’t bother.”

The woman hesitated for a moment, but after a moment, she took out a jade pendant from her bosom and said softly, ”This jade pendant is a family heirloom. If sir is interested...”

Chen Chao furrowed his brow and then said with a cold sneer, ”Let’s not talk about whether this jade pendant of yours can move me. Even if I wanted your jade pendant, I can just snatch it. Why would I bother helping you?”

The woman was not too frightened by his words. She just said softly, ”Sir doesn’t seem like a bad person.”

Chen Chao asked curiously, ”Do you have the skill to read people’s faces?”

It was just a casual remark, but the woman nodded earnestly and said, ”I learned a bit when I was young from the elders in my family. But it’s just surface-level knowledge, not very deep.”

It was Chen Chao’s turn to become speechless.

After a moment of silence, Chen Chao said, ”I’m not going the same way as you. We can travel together for a few days at most. You’ll have to rely on yourselves after that.”

The woman did not insist, she just said, ”It’s a good thing if sir is willing to travel with us for a few days.”

Chen Chao nodded his head and did not say anymore. He closed his eyes to rest, but he did not forget to release his aura. Otherwise, who knows how many foolish demons might come during the night.

The old servant had been silent all this time. Seeing Chen Chao enter meditation, he looked at the woman. After a moment of silence, he whispered, ”It’s this old servant’s incompetence that has caused trouble for Miss.”

The woman shook her head and whispered back, ”Uncle Fu, don’t say that. If it weren’t for you, I’m afraid we would have died long ago.”

The old servant was about to speak when suddenly he covered his mouth with his hand, his chest heaving uncontrollably. After a few coughs, he opened his palm to reveal a clot of blood.

The old servant let out a sigh, he was not some naturally gifted martial artist in the first place. In his prime years, he had reached Spell Controlling, but as he aged and his body weakened, coupled with a major injury he suffered, his cultivation realm fell. Now, he only had the combat power of Novice Realm. Moreover, it was not comparable to an ordinary Novice Realm; he was just slightly stronger than an average martial artist.

The woman looked at Uncle Fu with some concern.

He shook his head and said softly, ”Just an old ailment. Miss, don’t worry. It’s just that this old servant doesn’t know if I can accompany Miss back home.”

The woman did not say anything, but she also felt a pang of sadness.

The night passed, and the four continued their journey at dawn. Chen Chao was not in a hurry to travel, nor was he intentionally protecting these three. It was just a chance encounter, and traveling together for a few days was considered part of his duty as a military official of Great Liang.

In the following days, Chen Chao did not converse much with the three. Most of the time, they traveled in silence. Unlike before, the merchants heading south might have had some thoughts of traveling together when they saw Chen Chao. But now, with a mother and daughter and an old man who looked like he was nearing the end of his life, everyone knew they were a burden, so people stopped asking if they wanted to travel together.

On this day, they arrived at a small county city. After entering the city, the woman asked hesitantly, ”Could Sir temporarily take care of my daughter while Uncle Fu and I go buy some dry rations to continue our journey?”

Chen Chao asked in puzzlement. ”Aren’t you afraid I’ll kidnap your daughter?”

The woman said with a smile. ”If sir wanted to do that, why would you need to wait until now to act?”

Chen Chao was rendered speechless. Over these days, he had virtually confirmed that the woman in front of him was not of low birth; at least not from a humble background. However, he could not fathom why she had fallen to the point of traveling with an old servant. The woman did not take the initiative to mention it, and Chen Chao did not ask either.

After some thought, Chen Chao nodded. He then saw the woman whispering something in the girl’s ear. The girl glanced at Chen Chao before nodding her head reluctantly.

The woman said softly, ”Sir, how about we meet at the city gate in two hours?”

Chen Chao agreed, and the woman then walked away with the old servant towards the distance. Soon, only Chen Chao and the girl remained, staring at each other with wide eyes.

Although it was not their first day meeting, they had not conversed much. Now, with only the two of them left, Chen Chao did not know what to say.

The girl just stood obediently by Chen Chao’s side, observing the vendors along the street. After a while, she focused her attention on something.

Curious, Chen Chao followed her gaze and noticed a candy seller not far away. A group of children was pestering the vendor, who skillfully shaped hot sugar into various animal figures, looking very lifelike and appetizing.

The girl’s eyes were glued to that, her lips already glistening slightly.

It should not be because she was greedy. It might be because she was born into a wealthy family and had not seen such treats before. There were seven parts curiosity and three parts craving.

Chen Chao could not help but remember the first time he saw Xie Nandu roasting sweet potatoes.

He fell into a slight trance and asked, ”Do you want to eat?”

The girl turned to look at the young man who had been silent all along. Hesitating for a moment, she shook her head.

Chen Chao was absorbed in thought as he gave an ”oh’. Then he said, ”I want to eat, join me?”

The girl looked conflicted, but in the end, she said softly, ”Mother says eating too much candy will ruin my teeth.”